Feeler mechanism for looms



M. L. STONE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1919.

1,369,484. Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- I Infra-au er;

- MJT APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, I919.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2' Umw v mm E\ 3 g w wm R N n mm W f 7 67/? mm M. w A.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

MELVIN L. STONE, 0F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To DRAPER Conromn 'lION, oEnoPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent, Patented Feb 22 1921 Application filed November 26, 1919. Serial No. 340,890.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, MELVIN L. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. I

This invention relates to feeler mechanism for looms whereby the operative condition of the loom is changed or filling replenished when the filling in the shuttle is found to be substantially exhausted on a detecting beat.

Various attempts have been made with more or less success to effect replenishment of filling when that in the active shuttle reaches a degree of substantial exhaustion such that a minimum amount of waste shall remain upon the filling carrier when a change is called, and yet suflicient in quantity to lay with proper tension the last or final pick prior to change. Some of these feeler mechanisms have measured or calipered the diameter of the filling mass on the filling carrier, and have effected a change in the loom operation or replenishment of filling when the diameter of the yarn mass has reached a predetermined amount. In other cases the feeler member has been mounted for movement longitudinally of the shuttle along the Surface of the fillin carrier when, on a detecting beat substantia exhaustion of filling is detected; and instill other cases the operative or inoperative condition of the feeler mechanismhas been made dependent upon the passage or non-passage of airv through or between the feeler member and a surface within the shuttle. The present invention differs from all of these, and has for one of its objects to provide a feeler mechanism which Shall be sensitive both to the presence and absence of a working Sup-c ply of filling in the shuttle, and upon occur rence of substantial exhaustion thereof, shall detect the fact by rearward movement of a feeler member withthe lay: or shuttle as it goes backafter a detecting beat. I I,

In carrying the invention into practical effect, the feeler member is provided with what may be conveniently designated a vacuum. cup which, when the filling is. sub

stantially exhausted on a detecting beat, will cling to the Surface'of the filling carrier or bobbin within the shuttle and be moved, rearward'ly, by the Suction between such surface and vacuum cup as the lay goes back after a detecting beat. This rearward movement of the feeler member which is due to the suction between the surface within the shuttle and the vacuum cup, is utilized, in the present invention, to set in action a train of mechanisms whereby the operative condition of the loom is changed or filling replenished. When a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle, however, on a detecting beat, the vacuum cup will be engaged by the mass of filling, but owing to the porous nature thereof or the openings between the coils, air is permitted to pass into the vacuum cup as the lay goes back after a detecting beat, so that the. feeler member does not cling to the filling carrier or bobbin, and conse uently, is not moved rearwardly by suction etween Such vacuum cup or fill- 111g carrier or bobbinwhen a working sup-.

ply of filling is detecting beat.

The feeler member provided with the suction cup tip is supported in its normal feel.- ing position with capacity for frontward movement, and yielding means is provided to permit the feeler member to moverearwardly of its normal feeling position when, on a detecting beat, filling is substantially exhausted.

The vacuum cup whichconstitutes the tip present in the shuttle on a of the feeler member, in the presentinvention, may be variously contrived, but is preferably formed; as hollow rubber, or other flexible cup mounted uponthe end portion of the feeler member, and its edge portions are shaped to conform substantially with the surface of the filling carrier or bobbin to further insure a proper suction grip between the vacuum cup and filling carrier or bob bin when the filling is substantially exu e -v The aboveand other novel features and new combination of parts will hereinafter be described in connection with the accompanying drawings which form one good practical embodiment of the invention.

In thedrawings1- Figure 1 is a plan view of the feeler Side of a loom, showing more particularly the general relation between the feeler' mechanism and theshuttle, lay and associated Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached perspective view showing the mounting of the feeler member and feeler carrier;

Fig. 3 is a detached detail perspective view of the vacuum cup tip of the feeler member, some of the material of the tip being broken away to show the parts beyond;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the feeler mechanism along the line 1 4 of Fig. 1, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale, and their relative positions indicatedwhen a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on adeteeting beat; and

Fig. 5 is a corresponding sectional view to that of Fig. 4;, the relation of the parts being shown when the feeler member is moved rearwardly by the suction between the vacuum cup and filling carrier or bobbin as the lay moves back after a detecting beat.

The loom frame 1 has the usual transverse or rock shaft 2 mounted thereon, as indicated in Fig. 1. The rock shaft 2 is connected to a train of mechanism for effectingreplenishment of filling, in the present instance, which beingcommon and well known in the art, is not herein illustrated and desc ribed. Rising from the rock shaft 2 is the arm 3 carrying the latch 42, the rear end portion 5 of which is adapted to be engaged by an operating member 6 when the end 5 is in the path of movement of the operating member. The operating memberG may be any convenient part of the loom which has regular related movements with other parts, and in the pres-- ent instance. is shown as an arm connected to the weft hammer or cam follower. Pivotally mounted on a bracket 7 rising from the machine frame or the shipper stand 8 is a transmitter 9 one end- 10 of which projects 4o innller the latch in the present instance, the c mstruction being such that should the end it of the transmi r 9 be l'lllSCc, it will correspondingly lift the end 5 of the latch into the pathfof the operating member 6, and eiiect a rocking movement of the transverse slia ft and replenishment oi filling, as usual. The la y 10 is provided with the usual shuttle-box '11. and the front'wall of the shuttle 's provided with an opening-12 adapted ster with'the corresponding opening he i i icent wall oi the shuttle lat when in the i'letecting boxas indi- 1. The shuttle 14 carries the carrier or bobbin 1?) on which the fillmg is wound.

"The ieeler member is appropriately sup ported upon a feel'er carrier \Vlilli capacity for frontwar'd movement. Various forms of carriers have become employed in 'feeler looms, but in the prcsentinstance, as a prei erredffor'm, the ieeler carrier comprises a slide 16 whichis mounted in a feeler stand '17 for reciprocating movement toward and ii'rom'the front of the loom; A spring 18 interposed between the collar 19 and the front wall 20 of the feeler stand, normally maintains the feeler carrier 16 in its rearward position, with the collar 19 resting against the stop 21, as indicated in Fig. 5.

The feeler carrier has astem portion 22 which extends frontwardly through an open ing in the feeler stand, and its rear portion is formed to support the feeler member for movement relative to and also with the feeler carrier. In the present instance of the invention, the rear portion of the feeler carrier 16 is provided with the rearwardly extending side arms 23 which terminate at their rear portions in the head 24:, the construction being such that frontward pressure against the head 24 will move the feeler carrier frontwardly against the yielding tension of its spring 18. I

Mounted upon the feeler carrier for movement toward and from the front of theloom relative to the feeler carrier is the Vfeeler member provided with 'a vacuum tip. In the present instance, the feeler member comprises the arm or slide 25 which is lar 28 fastenedto the feeler'member or slide 25, normally holds the feeler member25 in a frontward position relative to the feeler carrier, astop being provided for limiting such irontward movement, as will presently appear.

her is moved relative to the feeler carrier in a rearward direction beyond the normaliieelingposit'ion of the feeler member, actuates'a train of mechanism to effect replenishment of filling. In the present'instance,the feeler 'member'25 has rising therefrom an arm 29' surmounted by a cam member 30 having a slot 31 whose frontward portion 32 18 inclined as indicated in F1gs.2, 4: and 5. The

cam'member 30 passes through a guideway formed in a lug 33 rising from the ,feeler stand, which thereby serves to guide the cam member 30 in its frontward and rearward movements. The cam member 30 may, if desired, be further guided by the top sup porting surface of the feeler stand 17. which is slotted as indicated at 34 for-the passage of'the arm or riser 29. The slot 31 in the cam member isengaged by an end ortion of the transmitter 9, asindicated in igs. 2, 4. and 5, the construction being such that when the parts are in normal feeling position, as indicated inFig. 2, the end of'the transmitter 9 rests in the slot 31 near the entrance to the inclined or deflected portion 32 of the slot. 7 I

' As-herei'nbefore indicated, thefe'eler mem- The feeler member or slide 25 carries a cam member which, when the feeler memher, in the present invention, is provided with a vacuum cup which may be variously contrived, but which, in the present instance of the invention, is formed of yielding material such as rubber or the like, and is con nected to the feeler member 25 by the collar portions 35, as indicated in Fig. 4. A portion of the feeler tip 36 preferably extends through an opening in the head 2 1 of the feeler carrier. and is provided with a shouldered-portion 37 which, under the action of the sprin 27 is maintained normally against the rear face portion of the head 24, but with permissive movement rearwardly away from the head 24: against the tension of the spring 27. i

The vacuum tip of the feeler member preferably has its contacting edge portions shaped to conform to the general contour of the filling carrier or bobbin which they engage when the filling is substantiallyexhausted. In the present instance, the vacuum feeler tip has the upper and lower straight edges 38 which engage at opposite sides of the axis of the filling carrier or bobbin. The side walls of the vacuum tip are concave as at 39 to conform to the con tour of the filling carrier or bobbin, and the vacuum tip is provided with the hollow or cup-like portion 40. Y,

While the-shoulders 37 constitute agood form of stop for limiting the frontward impulse of the spring 27 upon the feeler member, it is obvious, of course, that any other form of stop which will effect this purpose may be employed, the conditions being that when the feeler .member and feeler carrier are in their normal feeling'position', as incliindicated in Fig. 4c, the yielding edge portions 38 of the vacuumcup constituting the feeler tip, will engage the filling mass and cause the feeler member and perforce the feeler carrier to be moved frontwardly.

During this time the end of the transmitter 9 will remain in the substantially horizon tal portion 31 of the cam slot in the cam member 30 as the latter movesfrontwardly. lVhen this action takes place, the concave side edges 39 of the vacuum tip which are 1 formed in the arc of a circle. of smaller radius than the radius of the cylindrical mass of filling on the filling carrieror bobbin, will not cling closely to the mass of filling, and as indicated in Fig. 4, a suflicient opening or clearance will. be aiforded for degree.

under the condit1ons noted, the edge por entrance of air into the vacuum cup or tip. Alr will also be permltted to circulate into and out of the vacuum tip along the straight edge portions 38 of the vacuum tip on account of the space between the co1ls of filling which are engaged by the edges 38. Thus, 7

cause novacuum will have been formed in the vacuum cup-like tip. \Vhen, however, filling is substantially exhausted on a de tecting beat, and the surface of the bobbin or filling carrier engages the edges of the vacuum tip, as indicated in Fig. 5, the parts will again be moved frontwardly, andthe vacuum tip will againbe collapsed to some When the lay'goe's back or retreats,

tions 38 and 39 of the vacuum cup form an air-tight joint between the'surface of the filling carrier or bobb n and the collapsed vacuum cup, with the result that when the collar 19 meets the stop 21, as indicated in Fig. '5, onthebackward movement of the lay, the suction or vacuum in the vacuum cup will cause the cup to cling to the bobbin or filling carrier and follow it against the tension of its light spring 27 as the lay further retreats. This rearward movement of the feeler member 25 relative to the feeler carrier (Fig. 5), causes the inclined or cam portion 320i the slot in the cam member 30 of the operating member 6, thereby eifecting replenishment of filling.

to pass over the transmitter 9, as indicated r in Fig. 5, and lift the latch 4 into the path The vacuum cup, as hereinbefore noted, 7

ispreferably formed of rubber, or like yielding material, and its edge portions 38 and 39 are made sufiiciently thin to yield in response to the pressure upon them by the filling or filling carrier on a detecting beat. The vacuum cup is preferably formed some- 7 what oblong, as indicated in Fig. 3, that is, its dimensions longitudinally of the filling carrier or bobbin may advantageously be made greater than the dimension transversely of the filling carrier or bobbin.

What is claimed is 1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of the lay and shuttle, a feeler member having a vacuum cup tip, means for supporting the feeler member in normal feelingposition to enter the shuttle on each detecting beat, and yielding meanspermitting further rearward movement of the feeler member with the lay by the suction between the tip and'a surface within the shuttle when the filling is substantially exhausted.

2; In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination of the lay and shuttle, a feeler ,member that has a cup-like tip, means for edge portions of which are adapted to conform to a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat, and means for supporting the feeler member for rearward movement with the lay by the suction between the cup-.

like tip and a surface within the shuttle when thefilling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat. 4. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of the lay and shuttle, a feeler member having a flexible cup-like tip opening rearwardly and mounted for rearward movement with the lay by the suction between the tip and a surface within the shuttle' when the filling is substantially exhausted. 1

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of the lay and .shuttle, a feeler member having a cup-like tip opening rearwardly and adapted to engage a surfacev within'the shuttle on each detecting beat and supported for rearward movement with the lay by the suction between the tip and surface within the shuttle when the filling is substantially exhausted.

6. A feeler having a'cup-like ti shaped to conform and adhere to thesur ace of a filling carrier in the shuttle when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat. f

7. A feeler having a flexible cup-like tip shaped to conform and adhere to the surface of a filling carrier in the shuttle when 10. In a feeler mechanism for looms a.

feeler member having a vacuum cup tip, the side edge portions of which are concaved to fit a surface within the shuttle.

11. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a

feeler member having a vacuum cup tip-protions. 1 V 12. In a feeler mechanism for looms, a

feeler member having a hollow rubberrtip open at its free end and provided with two vided with two opposite straig'ht'edge por- V opposite straight edge portions and two opposite concaved edge portions.

In testimony whereof I have signed-my name to this specification.

. MELVIN-I1. STONE. 

